Ladder stowage apparatus



Nov. 1, 1955 w. PfcRAFT LADDER STOWAGE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 19, '1952 m. (VL.

NOV. l, 1955 W, P CRAFT 2,722,359

LADDER STOWAGE APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I/x//LL/AMPAUL R4/v* United States Patent LADDER STOWAGE APPARATUS William I. Craft, Long Beach, Calif.

Application September 19, 1952, Serial No. 310,569

2 Claims. (Cl. 228-42) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) This invention relates to flexible ladders and, more specifically, to means for stowing these ladders.

The invention may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

As is well known, most ships are provided with flexible ladders adapted to be used during landing operations for troop disembarkations or abandon ship, and it further has been found desirable to even provide such ladders for land structures where escape mechanism must be stowed in ready available locations. On some ships, these ladders are stowed on the deck where they are secured to pad-eyes and rest in the water-ways, although, as can well be imagined, the chains and other members of ladders stowed in such a manner soon deteriorate or become weakened due to corrosion or simply due to constant exposure to dampness. Any such weakening, of course, represents a very dangerous condition, but another real diiiiculty with it is that the constant dampness soon may cause a binding of the ladder-release mechanism on which the whole eiciency of the apparatus is predicated.

The difficulties experienced with such stowage on deck have clearly indicated the -desirability of stowing the ladders in suspended positions above the water-ways and out of the constant dampness with the result that on many other ships the ladders are rolled and bound to the life stanchions. However, such an expedient is equally objectionable because of the excessive strain put on these stanchions, particularly when personnel are climbing over them.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a safe and throughly reliable means for stowing a flexible rope ladder in an elevated position above the deck and clear of the water-ways, such means including a suspension for the ladder that is capable of easily withstanding any loadto which the ladders are subjected.

A related object is to provide such a means as will permit the ladder to be suspended from the ships side or to be fully rolled up and stowed in its elevated position.

Yet another important object of the invention is to provide means according to the above objects which is suciently small and compact so as to occupy a minimum of space aboard ship and which also is capable of being secured to the ship in a manner in which it will not interfere with or reduce in any way the normally operating eiciency of the ship.

Other objects will become readily apparent from the detailed description of the invention.

According to the invention, an elevated structure is provided which, preferably, is formed of a pair of standards, the upper end of each of which are concavely shaped or cupped so as to form a cradle arm and provide between them a cradle adapted to receive a rolled ladder. These standards are ixedly secured to and supported on the deck of the ship, or whatever other structure is to be CTL equipped with the apparatus, and they are located in a longitudinally-spaced relationship along the outboard edge of the deck, or, in the case of a ship, near the outboard coaming. The ladder is suspended from the outboard sides of these standards, and for this purpose each of the standards is provided with a brace that is secured to it approximately at its upper, cradle-level, the brace extending outwardly and downwardly from that point to a level which, preferably, is slightly below the deck level and, most suitably, along the vertical side of the ship below the deck. The brace is secured at its lowest level and the ladder is suspended from the brace by means of a linkage which is adapted to slide up and down along the vertical extent of the brace. Such a sliding linkage permits a suspended ladder to be completely rolled up an-d then placed on the cradle in its fully-rolled position, the linkage sliding upwardly along the brace to permit the rolled ladder to be raised to the level of the cradle. Also, when it is desired to use the ladder, it can very easily be shoved overboard from its rolled position and its linkage will slide downwardly along the brace into a position in which the linkage in the ladder is supported from the bottom portion of the brace. Preferably, each brace is reinforced along its lower portion with a transverse bar or plate and the ladder is adapted to hang from this bar and to slide upwardly and downwardly of the braces between the upper ends of the braces. When such transverse bar is used, the ladder will hang from this bar and slide upwardly and downwardly of the braces between the bars and the upper ends of the braces. When such a transverse bar is used, the ladder will hang from the furthest outboard portion of this bar so as to cause the upper part of the ladder to be spaced a convenient distance from the ships side, consequently, these bars not only form strengthening elements but also they are functionally ad vantageous in causing the ladder to hang in this spaced position. The ladders further are provided with rather wide spaced-apart wooden shoes adapted to rest against the ships side and space the full length of the ladder rungs from the ships side a sufficient amount to permit a convenient and secure gripping of the rungs.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a perspective of the cradle showing the ladder stowed on it in a rolled-up and bound position; Fig. 2 a perspective showing the same ladder in a suspended, operative position; Fig. 3 an enlarged end view of the cradle and ladder taken substantially along line III-III of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a vertical section along line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the cradle, designated generally by reference numeral 10, is formed of chocks or standards 12 and 14 each of which is formed along its top portion into a cradle seat 15, the chocks extending athwartship and each being welded to the ships deck 16 adjacent the gunwale. Further, the chocks are spaced apart a distance suicient to permit passage of personnel therebetween, this spacing also facilitating stowing and releasing of ladder 19 since the ladder is accessible from a central position between life line stanchions 20 and 22.

The structural details of the chocks are shown in Fig. 4, where it may be seen that each is formed of a plate, the peripheral edges of which are flanged to form a strong I-beam, and the bottom of each chock is curved upwardly to form a passageway 27 between inboard leg 28 and the ships coaming 29. This passageway permits the free flow of water along the gunwales and also renders the portion beneath the cradle accessible for cleaning and maintenance.

The means providing support for the suspended ladder is secured to the cradle and the particular means provided forms an important part of this invention. As is best seen n Fig. 2, such ladder-supporting means include a pair of braces, or bails 36 each of which is secured at its upper end to one of the chocks or standards 12 and 14. Further, the upper ends of these braces are secured at the tops of the chocks so as to be at least as high as the level of the cradle and, from their points of securement the braces, which are in the form of rods, extend outwardly and downwardly to a level whichis below the deck level of the ship. The braces, of course, must be secured at their bottom portions` and this is accomplished by bending their lower ends back in toward the ships side and securing them by welding` or other suitable means to the side. Also, a transverse bar or plate 37 also is used to reinforce each brace as well as provide a point that is spaced outwardly from the ships side from which the ladder can be suspended. The connecting members between the ladder and the braces are oval links 38 each of which encircle a brace at one end and have their other end run through an eye or ring 39 which is secured to a coupling member 41 adapted to grip an upper cross-bar or rung 42, normally provided by the ladders.

With such an arrangement, links 38 are slidable vertically along the extent of the braces between transverse bars 37 and the upper fixed ends of the braces, and this sliding movement is another one of the features of this invention. When such a sliding is permitted, it readily can be seen that the suspended ladder illustrated in Fig. 2 can be fully rolled up and then raised as a unit to stow it in its fully-rolled position in the cradle; links 33 sliding upwardly over the braces to permit the rolled ladder to be raised to the level of the cradle. If such a sliding were not utilized, it would not be possible to stow the ladder in a fully-rolled position, unless the stowage apparatus were disposed at the level from which the ladder is intended to be suspended.

However, as has been noted, links 38 are not permitted to ride downwardly of the braces to their very bottom ends, since transverse spacer plates 37 are disposed in their downwardly slidable path. Preferably, these spacer plates, or bars, are disposed between the ships side and a portion of the brace which is near the outermost bend of the brace, the purpose of this positioning being to locate the exact point from which the ladder is suspended by means of its links 38 as far away from, or outboard of, the ships side as is feasible. To further assure that the ladder will ride into this position in which its support is spaced from the ships side, it also is most desirable to have the upper surface of the spacer plates inclined downwardly at a slight angle as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. This incline positively assures that the links will come to rest in the position in which they are shown in Fig. 3.

When the ladder is suspended from these outwardly spaced points, the upper portion of the ladder will remain spaced from the ships side to facilitate use of the ladder. Of course, the braces also have very substantial reinforcing strength and are most desirable as a safety factor.

Under normal conditions, the flexible abandon ships ladders are stowed in fully-rolled position, it being noted that these ladders` may be securely bound by a suitable cable 43 which may be readily loosened so as to permit the ladders to be quickly shoved overboard to the suspended position illustrated in Fig. 2. In this suspended position the ladders are spaced from the ship in the same manner indicated and the spacing is further assured by the use of spacer shoes or fenders 44 normally provided with the ladders. Personnel ascend and descend the ladder in the customary rnanner, although it should be noted that the use of the spaced-apart chocks 12 and 13 permit personnel to conveniently pass through the stowage mechanism and, what is more important, braces 36 provide excellent hand-holds to assist personnel climbing on board.

Another particular advantage of this apparatus is that it is small and compact and, what is more important, it does not overhang the sides of the ship to any appreciable extent. Such overhanging structure is most undesirable, but with the present apparatus, the only portions extending outwardly beyond the sides are braces 36 which are disposed in their position to facilitate use of the ladder. If desired, the apparatus could be moved entirely inboard and any overhanging completely avoided, although, in such a case, a spacing of the ladder from the ships sides would have to depend entirely on suitable spacer blocks or fenders. In addition to the compactness and adaptability for shipboard use, the structure is more than amply strong to support any weights which may be imposed on the ladder and, if desired, any number of pairs of standards could be used to increase the strength. Such a plurality of cradles conceivably might be desirable if debarkation ladders of unusual widths are to be used.

It should be noted at this point that the structure and operation of the present stowage apparatus has been described with reference to its advantageous use aboard ships. However, as should be readily understandable, this stowage apparatus could be used on any structure for which it might be deemed desirable.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

l claim:

l. Apparatus for stowing a flexible ladder comprising a cradle adapted to be xedly supported on an elevated structure adjacent an outboard edge of the structure, said cradle portion being carried' at an elevated position above the supporting structure, braces secured to the cradle and extending downwardly from the elevated cradle level to a secured position on said structure and linkage connecting said ladder to said braces, said linkage being slidable vertically along said braces for permitting said ladder to be suspended from the bottom portion of the braces and also to be stowed in a fully-rolled and elevated position on said cradle.

2. Apparatus for stowing ship-board over-side exible ladders comprising a pair of standards formed at their upper ends into a ladder stowage cradle, said standards being spaced longitudinally along and projecting upwardly from the outboard coaming of the ship, a brace secured to each standard substantially at its cradle level and extending outwardly and downwardly from said level to an outboard point on said ship side near said coaming, and linkage connecting said ladder to said braces, said linkage being slidable vertically along said braces for permitting said ladder-to be suspended from the bottom portion of the brace and also to be stowed in a fully-rolled elevated position of said cradle, said brace being provided along its lower portion with a transverse bar for supporting said link in its ladder-suspending position and said link being slidable between said cradle level and said bar.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,343,123 Dahlander Feb. 29, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 431,607 Germany July 12, 1926 s, 1.-;- w... v 

